Millie has the best house in Rose Briar Hall. Everything is lavish and shows off the wealth of her and her husband, Charles. So, why not throw a big party. But the party does not go as planned and Millie suffers a traumatic experience that puts her in a state of unconsciousness with no memory of what actually happened.

This story is a bit predictable and expected. Plus, there were places I wanted to slap some people for stupid decisions. But, that being said, I did enjoy this mystery because I enjoyed Millie, especially towards the end. Now, at the beginning she is a bit of a wimp (and I wanted to shake her till her brains rattled and she got some sense!) But, she finally gets a grip on her impending doom and takes matters into her own hands!

The narrator, Sofia Willingham, is not necessarily my favorite. She is a bit breathless in her narration. But, this will not stop me from another listen. It is just something I noticed.

Need a good historical murder mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

while i enjoyed the haunting atmospheric intrigue of this gothic mystery, i was jarringly pulled out of the story when racially problematic language was used to reference people of color. the words “n*gro” and “c*lored” have long histories of perpetuating harmful stereotypes in the U.S. and its usage within the context of this story was completely unnecessary. i can appreciate when authors take their time to research historical accuracies for their stories but going so far as to include offensive words in the context of a brief setting description especially as a white author seems extremely inappropriate. there are plenty of ways to reference people of color in different historical settings without harmfully describing them. this has the possibility to exclude an entire demographic of potential readers from being able to enjoy what could have been an enjoyable story.

this aside, i was fully engaged for the first half of this story but felt some of the shocking elements were introduced too soon and left the second half wanting. the fmc is a very privileged, self-absorbed rich girl and her vapid point of view as narrator was nearly unbearable. her character is snobbish towards those lower than her class among other adjacent traits which was expected given her upbringing but i had hoped to see some development with a more empathetic arc so was very disappointed to not see this displayed.

thank you to kensington books and netgalley for a digital advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
I really enjoyed this novel. I love a spooky dark mansion thriller. This had all that plus murder and few twists.

Millie has it all in 1908- a handsome wealthy husband, a beautiful house, loving parents and dear friends.
However, something went wrong at their grand party and Millie wakes up 3 weeks later with no recollection of what happened.
Her husband tells her that the doctor has diagnosed hysteria and she has been asleep most of the time. Millie notices that there are fewer servants at the house and one especially is nasty toward her. The staff who remain are cold and distant to her.
The story unfolds gradually and introduced to each character as Millie tries to remember the night when her friend died while drinking tea at the party. When Millie discusses the night with her husband and her parents, no one believes her. In addition all of her NYC friends are curiously "no home" when she attempts to visit them.
The book was a classic study in manipulation, as Millie discovers secrets and lies while struggling to gain independence and self discovery. There is a believable courtroom drama and an empathic friend from the past who helps her out.
I enjoyed Millie's story and her journey to find the killer. and was interested in the limited rights that women had in the last century. The only negative that I have about the book is the graphic intimate sex scenes which I felt did not add to the story.

Historical gothic mystery thriller and domestic drama.

All things Gilded Age are popular now, and this book seems like it could fit alongside some of the current offerings on television and in novels. In this book, a young, married woman confronts her terrible marriage and the betrayals of her husband in a most desperate way.

Millie Turner is wealthy and was given Rose Briar Hall, a white marble mansion on the North Shore of Long Island, by her father. Married to Charles, a stockbroker, she's giving the party of the season when a scandal changes everything. Now shunned and in isolation, Millie navigates her memories through a haze that makes her husband question her sanity.

Are you like me? I just go nuts when I read stories of women threatened to be institutionalized for "hysteria" and because their husbands want rid of them? I spent much of the book railing against the injustices perpetrated on women of that age at the hands of the men whom they trusted and loved. Millie was stronger than most, but she did have the emotional support of a better man. Many reminders in this novel of how far women have come since 1900 but still so far to go. Some sex scenes I could have lived without, but overall, a nice period piece.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC (both provided by the publisher) and enjoyed the experience. I did like the narrator, Sofia Willingham, well enough though as is typical, the voices tend to all sound alike though she made some effort to change it up a bit. It would be so much better if the audio featured both male and female vocals.

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall is an atmospheric historical mystery set in New York's gilded age by Kelsey James. Due out 25th June 2024 from Kensington, it's 304 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

Although generally well written and a good homage to Gaslight, it's not completely problem free. It's written in first person PoV and many of the passages are somewhat overwrought and more like a laundry list of clothing, decorating, and things MC Millie has bought and worn. It's well written but definitely noticeable after a while.

There's a creepy gothic vibe in the setting descriptions, and the plot turns on Millie's fears and doubts about her own sanity, reinforced by her caring and loving husband and their household staff. It's a standalone novel and the denouement and resolution are satisfying and self contained in this book (no cliffhangers).

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 9 hours 47 minutes and is read by Sofia Willingham. She has an odd, breathy voice in the reading with a possibly historically accurate, but definitely peculiar accent. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars overall for the story and homage/pastiche, three for the audiobook version because the narration was a definite hindrance to concentrating on the story and never faded into neutrality.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Married to a powerful stockbroker, young socialite Millie throws a lavish party at their grand Long Island estate. But after a terrifying incident, Millie wakes up with no memory of the evening. As she tries to piece together what happened, she discovers that her friends have abandoned her and her reputation is in ruins. Trapped in a house that once promised happiness, Millie must uncover the truth before her marriage and her life are irrevocably shattered.

This tense and fast-paced thriller kept me guessing until the end. Millie is a strong and determined heroine who never gives up fighting, no matter how many catastrophes and reversals she suffers.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Promoted as a both a mystery and a gothic novel, <I>Secrets of Rose Briar Hall</I> is unfortunately not enough of either to warrant that description. Millie Turner is a vapid stereotype of the Victorian woman that James does not allow to have any power of agency over herself in order to force the gaslighting plot points along. I get WHY Millie is the way she is but it honestly does a disservice to the actual women of the time period.

The "mystery" isn't all that hard to figure out - even the outcome and the obvious red herring death announcement. Sure, Charles Turner is an absolute cad, but there really wasn't anyone worth cheering for in this novel so there was no incentive to care about the outcome on any of their lives.

Your mileage may vary with this one, but as someone that reads a lot of gothic inspired novels and mysteries, this one was a huge miss for me.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Kensington Books, and A John Scognamiglio Book in exchange for an honest review.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•historical romance
•mystery
•horror | thriller
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𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 - 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑨𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑶𝒘𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌.
Honestly, the beginning maybe 5% had me questioning if I was going to enjoy this book or not, but I am so happy I continued on, because this book had me on the edge of my seat. I was anxious the entire time. The twist and turns had me on the edge literally! Millie's daddy made me want to punch 👊🏽 him in the throat. Millie's husband deserves EVERY BAD thing that happens to him.
𝑰𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝑴𝑬!
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 June.25
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Kensington Books for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kelsey James for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Secrets of Rose Briar Hall coming out June 25, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was atmospheric and spooky. I love old, dark house plots. I think Millie was a strong character who knew what was up. I know it’s based on Gaslight. It just felt very similar to that story. There didn’t seem to be too many things that were different. I wasn’t a huge fan of the trial. I was hoping it would be a little more different. But the ending was really good and I loved the outcome. I would definitely check out other books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Gaslight!

2 1/2 elevated to 3.

I chose to request this book on account of the title and cover, which both hinted at a truly Gothic historical. Unfortunately, the Gothic aspect fell short.

The story is set in the early 1900s New York and Millie is the main character. Despite the 1st person POV narration, I didn't find Millie a sympathetic character. She acts childish at times and is erratic in her choices and actions.

The secrets are not related to the manor but by the other characters surrounding Millie.

I'm giving it 3 stars since I read it to the end.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Did Millie do it? Is she a murderer? That's the question at the root of this homage to Gaslight. It's 1908 and Millie seems to have it all. But is her husband Charles really looking out for her? This is atmospheric and intriguing with good characters. Don't worry if you haven't seen Gaslight (and if you haven't, you should)- in fact, you might enjoy the novel more going into it cold. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

First off thank you to Kensington Books and Kelsey James for allowing me to read this ARC of Secrets Of Rose Briar Hall.

I feel like this had so much potential but a lot of it fell flat for me. When I saw this was a mix of historical fiction/mystery & thriller/romance I was so excited, but to me the mystery & thriller/romance aspects weren’t showcased well enough. Throughout so many parts I felt like this was on the verge of being amazing and ready to have me on the edge of my seat. Every single time though, it would end abruptly or was trimmed down to just a small section because a lot of scenes focused so much on describing the scenery or the clothing a character was wearing. By the end I was left feeling like I was missing something and even now I’m not even sure who the killer(s) was.
I think the best part of this book was how well the author portrayed the immense hardships women had to face during this era. I learned so many new things about rights women did (but mostly didn’t) have.
All in all it was a good read but left me desiring more.

Millie has everything; a charming, handsome husband, loving parents and a beautiful house. However something goes horribly wrong during her housewarming party. She wakes up a few weeks later to a cold and empty house without any recollection of what happened. What’s even more disturbing, everyone around her is acting strangely.

This book was creepy and made me feel uneasy but it also kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Gaslighting is a powerful weapon, unfortunately still in use, especially against women. Millie’s predicament might seem outlandish at first, but it’s really not that unrealistic, which was a rather chilling realization.

The way the story unfolded was excellent; new details being revealed at just the right moments, unexpected plot twists and a much appreciated love story that balanced out the heavy plot.

Highly recommended for historical fiction and thriller fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF 😭 I wanted to love this because I enjoy gothic mystery and loved James’ debut but I couldn’t bring myself to go past 32% (102 pages).

Way too much telling over showing making the story drag and feel so boring and slow. I guessed the twists early on and skipped ahead to discover I was right all along- way too predictable and the romance felt so forced and unnecessary.

Hopefully James’ third book is better because I’m willing to give her another chance since I enjoyed her debut so much, sadly she fell victim to the sophomore slump

"In this Gilded Age Gothic homage to Gaslight starring Ingrid Bergman, a wealthy young newlywed in early 20th century New York is isolated within her opulent, yet ominously empty mansion by the charismatic and controlling new husband plotting to undermine her sanity...

1908, Long Island: For Millie Turner, the young and beautiful wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Rose Briar Hall - a gleaming edifice of white marble on the North Shore - is more than a home. Every lavish detail speaks of Charles Turner's status and wealth, and its stylish interior is testament to Millie's sophistication. All that's left is to prove her worthiness to be his bride. What better way than to throw a grand party for New York's social elite?

After painstaking planning, the night of the event arrives and all is perfection - until Millie wakes to a cold, eerily quiet house, and a gray cloud where her memory should be. Can it be true that she has been in and out of consciousness for weeks, ever since the party took a terrifying turn? Millie recalls nothing. But her friends have shunned her, and it soon becomes clear that if she can't find out what really happened that night, much more than her reputation will be at risk...

As the house that promised so much happiness begins to feel more like a prison, Millie wonders whether a woman alone, even a wealthy one, can ever be entirely safe. And if she succeeds in finding the truth, will it bring relief, or shake her marriage, and her life, to the core?"

I love the concept, though I would've like Patrick Hamilton, the playwright of Gas Light to get a little credit... I guess more people are drawn to the name Ingrid Bergman. Which, well, that's fair.

Set in gilded age New York, Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James is part romance, part domestic suspense, fully atmospheric. Delicious gothic touches appear in the setting and details, including the gripping phenomenon of female hysteria and uneasy feeling of foreboding.

Millie and Charles have been married just over a year and are besotted with each other. They are deeply enmeshed in high society and host a party at their new posh mansion. But something is amiss when Millie doesn't remember the events from the party. She is finally told she was responsible for the death of a woman she despised and was kept sedated for three weeks for her own good. She and Charles are shunned by nearly everyone in their circle, even those closest to them. Millie fights tooth and nail to prove her innocence but is constantly met with angst and opposition.

I am not a romance reader and feel the gratuitous graphic scenes and infidelity very unnecessary. Without them my rating and enjoyment would be higher. Too much emphasis was placed on Millie's and Charles' extraordinary physical looks. But the madness and suspense elements were riveting and gave me slight Wuthering Heights vibes which I love. The house was practically a character and almost as dark as the awful antagonists. Well done!

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.

This is a dark, Gothic book. It’s full of mystery and questions. A woman throws a lavish party only to wake up in a fog with no memory. I loved this story and suggest reading it,

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book did not have any trigger warnings so please be advised it contains mentions or graphic depictions of the following: death, vomit, violence, sexism, misogyny, miscarriage, gaslighting, infidelity, emotional abuse, toxic friendships and relationship, gun violence, domestic abuse, sexual content, pregnancy, physical abuse, confinement, forced institutionalized, psychosis, blood, smoking, mental illness and alcohol.

Overall rating? 2.75

Despite this book being lauded as an “homage” to the film Gaslight I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it. None of the characters were likable, it contained a trope that I don’t enjoy reading, the pacing was too slow at times and too fast at others, and the plot was overly predictable. Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for a good mystery or thriller story as you might be disappointed in this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel pulls you in from chapter one. It was eventful, intriguing, and mysterious. I love stories based in the gilded age. I must say Charles made my blood boil.
Thanks to the publishers for an ARC theough NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it 4 stars and will recommend to others.